How to plan your next trip like a boss

Hey lovelies,

How are you all today? I am currently planning real hard for my next trip to the States. The destinations are still a bit on the hush hush because I don’t know where I exactly will be going. I got a great opportunity to visit America for 2 weeks to cities of my own choice. I would love to go to L.A and San Fran but I am just trying to work out the details.

Planning, searching the internet for the best deals, hotels, destinations, I just love it. Today I would like to share with you some steps that I take in order to plan my trip like a boss and to make sure that I don’t forget anything important.

BUDGET-
One of the most important things before you start to plan your trip is defining your budget. Nothing is more dissapointing than researching a destination, getting excited about going and than realizing that you might not be able to afford the flights/hotel there. Defining your budget will help you to see what will be realistic for you and can assure that you will pick a destination that suits you the best.

DESTINATION-
When you have a clear image of your budget you can look for destinations that fit your budget. While making this list really ask your self what it is you look for in a trip. Do you want a sunny destination or perhaps a colder destination. Do you want a beachy holiday or perhaps somewhere you can really go in to nature and do a lot of hiking trips- or perhaps a combination of both? – Make a list of things you really want to see, do- and look up destinations that fit the best. Often you will already have a destination in mind because you heard nice stories about this place- but always do your own research. Once you have done all your research pick the destination that speaks to you the most and continue to the next step.

ACCOMMODATION AND TRANSFERS-
Before booking anything I can strongly recommend you to search for flight deals and hotel deals first. Or perhaps you are more of an airbnb’ kinda person. Always look up all your options. Don’t book your accommodation yet! First look for the best flights. You can see that often when you play a bit with the dates you can get cheaper options- don’t be to rushy with booking the flight- Spend a good 45 minutes while browsing different sites. The ones I use the most are www.cheaptickets.nl and www.skyscanner.comOnce you have found the best flight- look that deal and look for accommodations. Also with finding the right accommodation- don’t just book the ‘cheapest option’ – really look at the reviews and recommendations. It is better to spend a few more dollars if you can assure that you will stay in a place that really suits you the best.
What I also always do and this is something I can highly recommend is before booking a flight looking at the transfer options from the airport in to the city. For example in Brussels you have 2 airports. Zaventem and Charleroi. Zaventem is really easy to reach by public transportation. Charleroi is more difficult to reach when you don’t have a car. There are options but it is a bit of an hassle. So the flights maybe a bit cheaper but in the end you spend more time and money because you can’t reach the city so easily. So always explore all the options before booking anything.

FUN THINGS TO DO-
Before going on a trip I always order me some Lonely Planets. I just love and adore LP’s so much. I have a collection of more than 30 books now I think at home. LP’s are a great way of getting the city you are traveling too a bit better before going so you know what you can do at the destination. Good prep will get you everywhere. Of course you can still be spontaneous when you are in the destination and decide to do/see something else- but when you are prepared and you are aware about the ins and outs of an place you can at least assure that you can see and do everything you wanted!
Another thing that I also always do is to check out other bloggers recommendations about a certain place – that really helps to get inspired for my trip so for example if you are going to Thailand, just google ‘hotspots thailand’ and see where your online journey takes you.

These are 4 of the things that I always do before going on a trip and I always have the best time! I hope these tips were helpful! What are your best tips?